Moving-picture taking, viewing, or projecting apparatus.



F. VON MADALER. MOVING PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, 0B. PROJEUTING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909. 966,342. Patented Aug.2, 1910.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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P. VON MADALER. MOVING PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, 0B PROJEOTING APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1 909.

Patented A11g1'2, 1910.

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F. VON MADALER. MOVING' PIGT URE TAKING, VIEWING, 0B. PROJEGTING APPARATUS. 966,342.

R Patented Aug. 2,1910.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

a sums-211mm 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES.

P. VON MADALER. MOVING PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, 0B. PROJEGTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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F. VON MADALER.

10mm PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, on rnomc'rme APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910 APPLICATION TILED KAY 28, 1909.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

INVf/VTOR. M

WITNESSES.

F. VON MADALBR, MOVING PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, 0B. PROJ'BGTING APPARATUS.

' APPLIUATIOHTILED MAY 28, 1909. 966,342, Patented Aug.-2,1910.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

WITNESSES.

F. VON MA DALBR. MOVING PICTURE TAKING,'VIEWING, 0B. PBOJ'EGTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909. 966,342. Patented Aug. 2,1910.

8 SHEET8BHEET 7.

IN VENTOR.

T V a PE. WPPPPPPPPFfYm P. VONMADALER. MOVING PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, 0 PROJEGTIRG APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

i E S 5 E N T W www- NIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND VON MADALER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO THE ROTARY PHOTOGBAPHIC COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

MOVING-PICTURE TAKING, VIEWING, OR PBOJ'ECTING APPARATUS.

Application filed Kay 28, 1909. Serial No. 498,872.

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FERDINAND VON MA- DALER, a subject of the Austrian Emperor, residing at' London, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Moving- Picture Taking, Viewing, or Y Projecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in moving picture taking, viewing, and projecting apparatus particularly adapted for home or like use.

The apparatus is adapted to take the pictures for same directly from the moving subject or to reduce the image from an ordinary cinematograph film; but its principal purpose is to provide a convenient apparatus for projecting or viewing pictures from a reduced or. microscopic presentation thereof on a flexible film or the like, which may be conveniently obtained by reproduction from an ordinary cinematograph film...

The invention and a paratus are also adapted for the production of the reduced image pictures from such film on to a flexible miniature ,film' or strip, or a flexible cylinder, the pictures forming preferably a series of subjects following one another in rows, preferably longitudinally of the strip and in a spiral or continuous line or in a number of closed circumferential lines. Or, a straight or two-ended flexible film may be used, having a number of parallel rows or columns of pictures. Such strips, which are of course moved during display or during the taking of the picture, are preferably sensitized films. carrying positive pictures, where they are to be projected, or sensitized bromide or like paper where they are to be viewed. .It is known to reduce ordinary cinematograph film pictures on toaplate in parallel lines obtained by a zig-zagmotion of the plate ,so'that they can be pro ected by imparting a like motion tothe plate, and .to obtain, by means of a similar movemenfiaj series of pictures arranged in parallel lines and adapted to be directly viewed, by a zigzag motion; and it is likewise known to'obtaln such pictures in a spiral form or in the form of rings on a disk; but the present invention provides for the arrangement and display of the pictures on flexible films or strips in more than one line by "means of a longitudinal in conjunction with a lateral movement. Thismode of arrangement possesses considerable advantages in the way of saving of material and for packing and like purposes, and also permits of the use of picture series of practically any length that may be desired. When taking a series of the film pictures directly, negatives are produced from which transparent films or bromide or other paper pictures can be printed by contact.

Where the taking of a series of pictures is herein referred to, it will be understood that the display of same by projection 01' by direct'viewmg is equally possible, provided that the apparatus is modified for the purpose by being furnished with suitable proecting or viewing devices and vice versa in fact this is the purpose for which the apparatus is principally-intended, and in this connection it will hereinafter'be described.

The present invention further aims at 1mparting to the film or strip during its display a movement which will be free from wabbling or gyration so that the movlng picture as seen by the spectator will remain stationary as to locality and will not dance about from place to place on the screen (where projected) or in the tubular device or funnel in which, in the alternative, 1t 1s viewed. To this end the apparatus is provided with or. comprises a rounded outer part'carried by or forming a portion of a casing and over which, by means of feeding mechanism in the interior of the casing, the film or strip is fed between guide bars or front and back plates arranged behind the The feeding deprojecting or viewing lens.

vice or carriage operates in such manner as v to impart to the film a longitudinal movement in conjunction with a lateral or transverse movement, the aforesaid guide bars or plates traveling with the fil'm or strip for the transverse or lateral movement, but remaining fixed as regards the longitudinal movement thereof so that for the latter, the film or strip slides freely between the guide bars or plates.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the two examples thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 6 illustrate one of the above mentioned forms of apparatus, employing an endless band film with the pictures arrangedspirally thereon, and

Figs. 8 to 14 illustrate the other form of apparatus, employing a straight or two-ended film with the pictures arranged in parallel columns.

In the said drawings :Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the said first-named form of apparatus, Fig. 2, a similar View but with the casing and other arts artly broken away, and Fig. 3 a plan ut with the casing partly removed; Figs. 4, and 6 are transverse sections taken approximately on the lines 44, 55 and 66 respectively of Figs. 2 and 3, Fig. 5 showing also, diaipammatically, and

on a reduced scale, a gram phone coupled to the apparatus; and Fig. re resents a portion of a film forming art 0 the subject of the invention and suita is for use with appa-. ratus of the type re resented by Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 8 is a front eevation, of the said second-named form of apparatus, F i 9 a similar view, but with the casing an other parts partially broken away, and Fig. 10 a plan, but with the casing partially removed; Fig. 11 is a partial transverse section on the line 1 1l1 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 a transverse section, taken approximately on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10, and Fig. 13 a partial lonr gitudinal section, taken approximately on the line 13l3 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14; is a detail of the reversing mechanism; and Fig. 15 represents a portion of a picture film or strip su table for use with apparatusof the 'type represented by Figs. 8 to 14;. Fig. 16 is a modified detail of the illuminating arrangements, suitable for use with either of the above types of apparatus.

In the above examples the principal difference is in that portion thereof relating to the lateral feed; for the most part the rest of the. apparatus is similar for both forms.

Referring to either of the sets of drawingsFigs. 1 to 6 or 8 to 14:a'indicates the casing of the apparatus, inclosing the motor which latter may be driven by electricity, by a spring or, as in the present instance, by hand; or by other convenient means. Within said casing is a chamber comprising a hood or bonnet b for an electric light 6', or for directing the light from a gas, dil or other illuminating burner, such hood or bonnet being provided with a window preferably lenticular, b

0 is the film carriage, which moves longitudinally of the casing alon fixed guide rails 11/, ain the casing a. an along an in 'termediate rail (2 which latter serves also as the feed shaft as hereinafter described. The front part of the casing-is removable, and comprises a rounded or semi-cylindrical plate a having a slot at over which the film 1S moved as hereinafter .ex lained and between it and a lens e carried y a hinged bar 6" which can be turned back out, of the way of the strip.

is the film, the l'ongitudinal' or pictureaea ea to-picture, movement of which takes place between guide bars comprising a curved back late or platen c of the carriage c and a ont plate 0 the latter of which is hinged at one end to the plate a and is provided at the opposite end with a. spring snap or other fastening to keep it in place when closed, and with a handle 0 for manipulating it with, such handle extending, when the front .part a of the cover is closed, through the slot or opening a in the latter.

lhe hand motor above referred to comprises a main shaft 9 adapted to be turned by a handle g and carrying a Worm wheel 9 which by means of a worm k rotates. a disk It having a turned-up portion or cam it. The periphery of this disk engages with the teeth of a wheel d fast on the carriage shaft (13 to rotate same step-by-step. 0n the same shaft d and projectin slightly through slots in the back plate 0' 0% the carriage, are two star orpin wheels d adapted to enga e with feeding holes f in the film. The e evation of the disk It is such that during the greater portion of its revolution its plane rtion remains in en agement with the adacent tooth of the wheel (2 and holds said wheel and with it the pin wheels d station-' ary during such interval of time as is necessary to expose any individual picture or part of the film, but when the raised or cam portion h of the disk reaches the wheel d it engages the next tooth thereof and. on the further movement of the disk turns said Wheel and with it the wheels d rapidly through an angle corresponding with the distance between one picture and the next. To provide,for the other ,or lateral move ment of the strip carriage, the pin wheels, which are keyed to the shaft d by the key d are nevertheless capable of sliding thereon.

The lens 6 is mounted in a focusing tube e carried by the hinged bar e which has an opening e, Figs. 1 and 8, of the size of the reduced pictures of the film and which opening is opposite the slot a of the removable plate a which slot itselfis in turn opposite the lens 12 so that light can be projected through these openings, through the film which passes between said openings 6 and IQO a and through the lens. The focusing tube can be telesco ed by any suitable means as for instance by providing one section of same with a helical slot and the other with a pin and by partially rotating one of such sections until the required focus is obtained. From this tube the Icture is projected in an enlarged form or, ifidesired, may be viewed directly orthrough a further. lens or lenses, including if desired a long focus lens, through which latter a very small picture can be made, toappear on an enlarged scale.

It will be noticed that, as exemplified in the drawings, the casing is mounted upon a base or bed plate m from which it is raised seam by a single standard m" from which rigidly f extends a horizontal stud or-rod m which passes into a sleeve m of the casing a and supports it. Said casing is thus capable of a partial revolution on the rod m so that, if the operator desires to make a change from projecting the ictures on to a screen to showing them to t e spectators direct, the whole casing a and its contents can be turned over on the rod m. as a pivot, this being necessary because the projected pictures are run through upside down to provide for reversal during projection while no such reversal oc-' cuts in viewing and'hence it is necessary to view the pictures from the opposite side to that from which they are projected as they are arranged on the film for traveling in one direction only.

v To enable the erator to use the right hand for the handle g when the casing is over, such handle isremovable from the outer end of the shaft 9 to a shaft 'g" at the other end of the apparatus, the shaft g being geared withthe shaft g. For the purpose of viewing transparent positives on a film a piece of opal glass is preferably interposed between the lens 12 and the slot a so that a brightly lighted White background is obtained.

The freedom of one end of the casing from connection with the base'or-bed plate m en' ables the loop-shaped film f to be very readily passed over same and put in place on the carriage, the slack of the film hanging down between the casing and the base plate. 1

Tobring the above apparatus into joint action with a talking machine such as 'n, (Fig. 5) there may be geared with the worm 1 h awheel n conveniently supported as by abracket onthe casing, and fast on a shaft '11 either flexible or adjustable which may connect with the driving spindle of the talking machine n so that the latter may be revolved at about its usual speed of say 80 revolutions to the minute to say about 950 revolutions of the picture machine. In such a case the talk ing machine record must of course have been produced synchronously with the film or tric glow lamp .4 or bonnet b, an arc lamp b",

strip being exhibited.

In a slightly modified form of the ap a= ratus, shown in Fig. 16, in place of an. eldewithin the horizontal hood or a g'as oil or other burner may be arranged to project its through a hood or bonnet 0, which is in asbestos or the like 0 surmounted by a metallic sleeve 0 to protect the film and the anism to be described.

, mechanism from the heatiof the lamp. The

sleeve in this case carries an angle mirror o 'for projecting and the like. 7 i

There only now remain the feeding mech- In apparatus .of the type illustrated by is preferably Figs. 1 to 7, the film fisin the form of an endless strip or closed loop carrying the pictures. These pictures, which are reduced to a very small size, are preferably arranged as shown in Fig. 7, in a row or column extending helically around the loop of the strip, as many times as desired, the pitch of the helical line, which is represented at f, being determined by the length of the series of.pictures relatively to the length of the strip. Or such pictures may be arranged if desired in a number of parallel rows or columns, each one extending circumferentially of the loop and ending where it began.-

In the example illustrated, where the fihn has its pictures arranged in a single continuous helical line, the lateral traverse of the carriage is effected not in steps or jumps but continuously. For this purpose there is 1'0- vided, parallel with the guide rails a a screw shaft 2' with'the thread of which engages a tooth for half nut carried b a bell crank lever on the carriage. Said ll crank lever hasone of its arms held normally in engagement with the feed screw by a spring j and its other arm 9' projects forward through the platen 0' so that it can be actuated by the finger of the operator to disengage the tooth j from the eed screw when it is desired to return or otherwise move the carriage by hand. The feed shaft is rotated preferably from the feed shaft d, by means of gearing such as a.

shaft is carrying a combined gear and miter .wheel is on a sleeve 01'' hub k the miter portion meshing with a miter whe'el if on the screw shaft 2', the other end of the shaft is being provided with a miter wheel is meshing with a like wheel 12 on the carriage shaft d. a v

To allow of the different films employed having helical lines of difierent pitch, so as for instance to accommodate longer or shorter series of pictures by means of a closer or more open arrangement of the convolutions, the traversing feed of the carriage is made variable. For this purpose the gearing which drives the screw' shaft/i of the variable speedkind; in the present instance three speed ratios are provided for; one by means of the small miter wheel '11, another by a larger-concen- "trio ear wheel i with which the gear wheel portion of 7c engages and the third, or slowestspeed ratio, by means of a sun l rger gear wheel '5 with which the gear wheel portion of is can also engage. The sleeve or hub 10 carrying the wheel k is slidable' on its shaft is by means of a handle 1:" projecting through an elongated hole of slot in the end wall of the casing and engaging by its reduced'end k a groove in the hub 5: te enable said Wheel 705 to "be thrown into mesh with any one of the Wheels 2", 2' 'To insure these wheels always meshing properly, the sleeve 10 and its handle is are connected a lever lc 'terminating at its freeend in a segment k provided with three notches, as shown in Fig. 4, one or another of these notches being engaged by a spring catch k which prevents accidental displacement, of the lever is, but insures its desired throw when shifted for the purpose of changing h gear. lln apparatus of theother type, V1Z. the one illustrated by Figs. 8 to 15, the minlature flexible film has its series of pictures arranged in parallel rows or columns extending longitudinally of the film and beginning alternately at opposite ends thereof so that by imparting to the film a to-andfro end-to-end movement coupled with an intermittent or periodic sidewise movement all the pictures can be viewed or projected one at a time. In this form of construction f f (Fig. 15) represent projections in the form of end-bars on the film f which control its reversals and its lateral feed; ;0, g, and 1' represent parts of the escapement and I reversing mechanism and Z- is the carriage while the lower horn lies in feeding spring.

72 is a fixed double rack comprising two sets of oppositely facing teeth of which the teeth in one set are opposite to the spaces in the other set.

g is a pawl pivoted on the carriage 0 at 9 (Fig. 11) and having a finger g which is engaged constantly in a recess of a C-shaped pr bell crank trip lever 9 also pivoted tothe carriage 0 at 9 Said trip lever is provided wlth oppositely disposed, forwardly projecting horns g g the upper one of which lies n the path of the upper end bar f of the film on the downward motion of the latter, the path 'of the lower endbar f on the'upward motion of the film. I

r is a throw-over or reversing bar which lies parallel with the line of travel of the carriages and is at all times loosely en-- gaged bya forked end of the pawl g. Said bar is carried by one of the limbs of a. C- shaped or bell-crank reversing lever 7* which is pivoted at 1' with one limb above and the other limb belowthe driving disk h (Fig. 10) and is provided on each of said limbs with a stud or like projection 1- Said driving disk 72. is provided with a three-limbed trip device 72, pivoted therein ,on said'lever will lie in the path of the ad 7 for tripping or throwing over the pivoted cam it, one limb of such trip device which is forked, see 'Figl12, constantly engaging a pin h on said cam while the other limbs roject vertically on both sides of the disk for such a distance as to insure thateach time'the crank leverrf is thrown over in either. direction the corresponding stud 1' jacent limb of the trip device 72, as the, disk It IGVOIVGS. This will trip the device It? and then both limbs. of the latter will clear the "studsr until the .next reversal of the crank eeasis ter being provided with a screw or stud h sliding in said slotted part. 72 71.,Fig. 10,

are springs pulling constantly on pins 72, 71 projecting from each side of the trip device to insure its always being-fully thrown over on one side or thebther.

The rack members 7 have between them at least as many teeth p as there are rows f of pictures to be exhibited, and it will be seen that on the film reaching either end of I its travel the corresponding end bar f will trip a horn g and thereby bringa stud 1' into the path of the trip device k This will rock the crank lever 1" and also through .the pin [i throw over the cam h so that it enters the teeth of the wheel at with its angle reversed and so will revefsethe drive of the wheel 0? and consequehltly the feed of the film. The rocking of the ever 1- moves the bar and thus removes'th pawl g out of the.-

.tooth of the rack go so that under the pull of a spring Z, attached at one end to the carriage 0 and at its other end to the drum on which it is wound, the carriage is moved forward until the next tooth of the rack p on the opposite face of same catches the pawl q.'

The strip f is provided in the example shown at the ends or where the turning and shifting occurs with a metal or other strengthening edging f perforated or serrated to correspond with the perforations 1n the film or strip, such edging being on one side in the illustration. Said edging may extend the full length of the film or strip if desired, or in the loop form it may further serve the purpose of indicating starting the film or strip.

The apparatus may be used as-a camera or picture taking machine if desired instead of for projecting or showing pictures; in which the point for A convenient term for designating equally well either the transparent film or 'the aper or like strip consists in the word we 1? or the word ribbon and by these words the film and thestrip will be referred tom the claims appended h reto.

A convenient mode of referring to the ar-- rangement of the pictures in any of the variousforms of web or ribbon herein de scribed is by using the expression rows or or ribbon there are distinct rows or columns,

in the strictest sense of the term; and even in the endless band form, where the so-called rows or columns are in reality only convolutions of a single spiral line, they'neverthele'ss present to the eye, which cannot take cogmzance of the whole line at one glance, the effect of separate rows or columns. Similarly, in the case where the pictures are arranged n a number of closed cycles or loops placed side by side, such cycles or loops may be called rows or columns, and moreover the whole series of the cycles or loops can fairly be regarded as a spiral seeing that, although no-smgle cycle or loop is, parately considered, helical, yet the series as a whole commences near one lateral edge of the band, passes around and around same, being further removed from said edge at each complete turn, and finally, ends near the opposite edge of the band.

'As already stated, the apparatus is suitable either for taking a series of ictures or for d splaying (by projecting or y directly exhibiting, magnified) a series of pictures: that is to say it is capable either of transmitting said pictures 011 to the web or ribbon or of transmitting them from the web or ribbon to a screen or to the eye. For this purpose it would of course be provided with what may be termed a picture transmitting device, by which term is implied whatever may be necessary for this purpose as is well known in the art, such as a focusing tube, a lens or lenses and the like for taking or projecting, or a funnel for viewing,-the pictures. v

-What I claim as my invention and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In moving picture apparatus the com-4 bination of a casing, a rounded outer part thereon adapted to support a picture Web or ribbon, and means within said casing for engaging and feeding a web or ribbon laid on said rounded part.

2. Moving picture apparatus for utilizing a loose, flexlble picture web or ribbon, comprising means for supporting'a portion of such web or'ribbon, the remaining portion thereof being permitted to hang by gravity, means for directly engaging said web or ribbon and feeding same, and means for shifting said engaging means transversely of the direction of feed.

3. Apparatus for utilizing a loose, flexible. picture web or ribbon, comprising means for supporting said web or ribbon by looselysuspending same, feeding wheels adapted to directly engage said web or ribbon, means for driving said feeding wheels, means for guiding the web or ribbon over said feeding wheels, and means for shifting said engaging means transversely of the direction of feed.

. and adapted to directly engage said web or driving motion.

4. Apparatus for utilizing a loose, flexible picture web or ribbon, comprising feeding means for said web or ribbon movable in two directions at right angles to each other,

ribbon, means for imparting rotary motion to said feeding means, means for imparting the other motion to said feeding means transversely to the rotary motion, and stationary means for supporting said web or ribbon during said feeding motions, said web or ribbon moving slidably over and relatively to said supporting means.

5. In moving picture apparatus the combination of a stationary support adapted for loosely hanging a flexible picture web or ribbon, a picture transmitting device, and means for feeding said web or ribbon relatively to said support and past said transmitting device in two direct-ions, said means including means for effecting said feed in a direction longitudinally'of the web or ribbon and means for feeding it in a direction transversely thereof.

6. In moving picture apparatus the combination-of means for loosely supporting a flexible web or ribbon, a carriage, means on said carriage adapted to have a loose, feeding engagement with said Web or ribbon,

means for driving said engaging means for effecting a driving motion, means including a screw for shifting said carriage laterally and means for continuously operating said screw synchronously with the aforesaid 7. In moving picture apparatus the combination of means for loosely supporting a flexible web or ribbon, a carriage, means on said carriage unattached to the said web or ribbon but adapted to feedingly engage same, means for driving said engaging means, means for feeding said carriage transversely of thefirst mentioned feed, and means for operating said second mentioned feed continuously and synchronously with the first mentioned feed.

8. In moving picture apparatus adapted for utilizing a loose flexible picture web or ribbon having a row of feeding perforations adjacent each lateral edge thereof, the combination of a lens, a plurality of pin or star wheels adapted to engage the aforementioned perforations, means for actuating said pin wheels to feed the web or ribbon longitudinally past the lens, means for feeding the web or ribbon transversely past the lens, and means for slidably guiding said movements of the web or ribbon.

9. In moving picture apparatus the combination of a casing, a rounded outer part thereon adapted to support a picture web or ribbon, a plurality of guide bars having a sufficient space between them to permit said web or ribbon to be passed therethrough, a

picture transmittingdevice adjacent thereto,

and means fer fe ding pictureaihmu h the aforesaid space and past said transmitting device. 10. In moving picture apparatus the com- L bination of a casing adapted to support a picture Web or ribbon on-1ts exterior and'to contain the feeding mechanism therefor in its interior, a front plate exterior to the casing, a back .plate' also exterior to said casing spaced from said front plate Sufiiently to form a path for a Web or ribbon In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

FERDINAND VON MADALER.

Witnesses:

EDUARD HAENEL, ALBERT ()LIVER Howns. 

